Student Worksheet Packet
Privateers and Prize Law: How New London Financed the Revolution
New London, CT
Students investigate how New London's privateering economy worked — the legal framework of letters of marque, the role of prize courts, and the human stakes for crews and captains — to understand how the Revolution was financed at the local level.
This Packet Includes
- Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
- 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
- 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
- Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Explain the legal distinction between a privateer and a pirate
- Describe how prize courts adjudicated captured British merchant ships
- Analyze how New London's privateering economy contributed to Connecticut's war effort
- Evaluate the risks and rewards facing privateering crews
Essential Questions
Keep these questions in mind as you work through this packet:
- How did colonial ports like New London help finance the Revolution without a functioning national treasury?
- What is the difference between legal warfare and piracy, and who decides?
- How did maritime commerce shape the political and military character of coastal New England?
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in New London, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in New London, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?
The Public Records of the State of Connecticut, 1781
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in New London, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Fort Trumbull State Park: The 1781 Raid on New London
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What is the institution's mission?
How does that mission shape the presentation?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in New London, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What primary sources does this draw from?
What interpretation does the author offer?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in New London, CT? What does it tell you about the people involved?
New London Event Timeline
timeline
Students place key events in chronological order and add details
# New London Revolutionary Timeline
Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.
- [ ] Arnold's Raid on New London
- [ ] Burning of New London
- [ ] New London Privateering Reaches Its Peak
- [ ] New London Privateering Operations
- [ ] Shaw Mansion Becomes Naval Agent Headquarters
---
| Event | Date | Significance |
|-------|------|-------------|
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
Primary Source Analysis
graphic organizer
Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents
# Primary Source Analysis Worksheet
## Source Information
- Title: _________________
- Author: _________________
- Date: _________________
- Type: _________________
## Observation
What do you notice? (List 3 things)
1.
2.
3.
## Reflection
What do you wonder? (List 2 questions)
1.
2.
## Analysis
What does this source tell us about New London during the Revolution?
_______________________________________________
## Perspective
Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?
_______________________________________________
Key Figures Profile
worksheet
Research template for Revolutionary figures
# Revolutionary Figure Profile
## Basic Information
- Name: _________________
- Birth/Death Years: _________________
- Occupation(s): _________________
## Role in the Revolution
### Benedict Arnold
The former Continental hero who led the British raid on New London in September 1781. Arnold's intimate knowledge of the Connecticut coast made his attack devastatingly effective. The raid was one of his last significant military actions during the war.
My questions about this person:
1.
2.
### Hannah Arnold
Benedict Arnold's sister who reportedly still lived in the New London area when her brother led the British raid. The personal dimensions of Arnold's attack on his home region are embodied in figures like Hannah, caught between family loyalty and community devastation.
My questions about this person:
1.
2.
## Reflection
Which figure interests you most and why?
_______________________________________________
New London in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
1. What makes New London significant in Revolutionary history?
2. Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
3. Name one event that occurred in New London during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
Answer:
4. Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?
5. Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.
Answer: